This invention appertains to auto rack railway cars which comprises perforated reflective side panels forming the side walls of a car.
The perforated and reflective characteristics of the interior faces of these panels are important in that they increase the visibility inside the car and to thus facilitate loading and unloading of automobiles and trucks with respect to the interior of the car.
One of the serious problems is the discoloration of the panels by rust. A major source of rust discoloration on auto racks can be attributed to the destruction of the interface of the galvanized or painted side panels and the side panel retainers. This interface is subjected to constant movement between the side panels and the retainers due to the flexibility of the rack structure and vibration of the rail car. This movement results in the paint deteriorating on the column brackets producing rust generation points. At the same time the panel movement is gradually removing the protective layer of galvanizing from the side panel introducing additional rust generation points.
The discoloration of the side panel is more than an aesthetic problem because it also lowers the light reflecting properties of the interior of the auto rack. This makes the interior of the auto rack dark enough to cause the operating personnel difficulties in the loading/unloading operations and application of the vehicle restraint systems. The resulting safety and damage claims have caused the automobile manufactures to apply a considerable amount of pressure on the railroads to improve the light reflective properties of the interior of auto racks. One result of the pressure is included in the new rack certification program which requires that certified cars be repainted. An additional problem with the rust generated at the interface points is the damage to the finish on new automobiles.